Is this racist? (see URL)

I think it is racist, I cant imagine one saying Lil Cracker or Lil Taco, Or Lil Chink or Lil Savage.

I think it shows incredibly stupid decision making on the side of the company that produced that toy. I mean, really, if I was making a toy, I would pay attention to how my toy came across and I would not use the combination of a monkey and a black child.

Racist? I tend to doubt it because I highly doubt that the marketing executives want to have their company called "racist." Companies want to avoid that kind of a mess.

Does it come across as racist? I would think that, to a large number of people, yes it would come across as racist.

I think that how it came across was accidental and whoever was in charge of that has probably been fired.

I don’t think its racist. I agree with Missy answer.
I think that white kids can be even jealous because in their country there is no monkey on the tree outside the window ;p

I'm sure it's unintentional, but yes, thoughtless & racist.

i dont see racism....:/
i cant think of relating the monkey with a black doll or the banana...

Awwww.. that's so cute. Seriously?!?

Its all in the eye of the beholder. On the other baby dolls one being white it said something along the same line. But in this day and age we need to be sensitive to people.:) ☼

Was it next to a white doll of the same design on the shelf?

I don't think it is racist but if you look hard enough I am sure you can find many things in everyday life that will shock and offend you.....however unintentional the offence might be!

I don't think so...At least I hope not. Hopefully, if anything, it shows a misunderstanding of racist connotations. A naivity. if it was intentional, then that's another story.

1) The most racist thing about this is actually the fact that, as can be inferred by the baby's cap, the name of that black baby doll is actually "Lil' monkey".


2) "Brass Key, the company that makes the toy, has apologized for the misunderstanding, saying the offensive meaning was not within their company's "realm of thinking."
Riiiight. Who would be offended by a black doll with a cap that reads “lil’ monkey” on it?"
Source and further information:
http://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local-beat/Lil-Monkey-Doll-No-Longer-at-a-Costco-Near-You--53147372.html


3) "Social psychologists have shown, robustly, that any given member of a society, even those who are the target of negative stereotypes, will hold pre-conscious stereotypical beliefs common in that society. (If you’d like to test your own unconscious biases, and see aggregate test results of others, I highly recommend Harvard’s Project Implicit.)

The fact that we are all racist already, whether we like it or not, is the point that the manufacturer completely misses. They do think in that way. We all do. Not thinking in that way consciously doesn’t mean that racism didn’t play a role in the manufacturing of a black Lil’ Monkey doll. In fact, their defense actually makes things worse. Their refusal to think about racism, in favor of a defensive reaction, is as racist as the doll itself. We can’t fight racism unless we’re prepared to admit that we hold unconscious biases."

"Commenters alerted me to alternative media coverage that made it clear that “Pretty Panda” and “Lil’ Monkey” dolls both came in black, white, and “Hispanic”"
Source and further information:
http://contexts.org/socimages/2009/08/16/black-lil-monkey-baby-doll/


4) "Costco is going to learn a huge financial lesson from this fiasco. So far, they've made all the right moves: They've removed the dolls from the shelves, and apologized profusely. This is a good strategy, as corporations are trained to avoid racial controversy at all cost. The biggest price of all? Costco stock has dropped by 3% this week. Black, white, brown or yellow, the only color that matters to executives is green. Being racist is simply not good business. "
Source and further information:
"Black 'Lil Monkey' Dolls: A Very Bad Financial Move"
http://www.bvonmoney.com/2009/08/17/costco-lil-monkey-dolls/

No, but it's kind of racist to assume it's racist. Not meaning you, I mean the person who spotted it and thought, "boy, I HAVE so send this to those Failblog guys!"

It (probably) wasn't intended to be racist, but it seems strange that no-one in the company during the whole design and manufacture of the doll would have spotted that there may be a possible problem in how the doll might be perceived, and point it out.